Azerbaijan attaches immense importance to its relationship with Pakistan: Sahiba Gafarova
Mahnoor Ansar
ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani has called for closer Pakistan-Azerbaijan cooperation for the development of political and economic relations between the two countries. Exchanges of a high-level delegation, trade ties, and people-to-people contact will bring the two fraternal countries more closer, he stated while talking to the Speaker of Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Sahiba Gafarova, who called on him here at Parliament House.
During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional security situation, and bilateral relations were discussed in detail.
Pakistan-Azerbaijan relations are based on mutual trust, confidence, common historical, cultural, and religious similarities, said Sadiq Sanjrani. “Pakistan cherishes its cordial relation with Azerbaijan. There is a dire need to further enhance parliamentary and institutional cooperation”, he added.
The Chairman Senate thanked the visiting delegation for participating in the 2nd General Conference of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Economic cooperation organization (PAECO). High-level parliamentary contacts and exchange of delegations should continue, he stressed.
Talking to the visiting dignitary, the Chairman underscored that the Pakistan-Azerbaijan Parliamentary Friendship Group can be a forum to further cement bilateral ties. “There is an urgent need to make the Parliamentary Friendship Group more active and viable forum”, he said. He also stressed the need to reinvigorate the Parliamentary Union of ECO member states.
“Pakistan is committed to promoting cooperation in various fields, inter alia, including trade, energy, and other areas of common interest. Both countries have always supported each other’s posture on global issues of common interest”, he observed.
Touching upon the issue of the Nagorno Karabagh conflict, the Chairman underlined that Pakistan has always supported Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity under the UN resolution. Pakistan fully supports Azerbaijan’s position on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, he maintained.
While exchanging views on the COVID-19 Pandemic, Sanjrani pointed out that the whole world is currently facing the Corona epidemic and routine life has been immensely disturbed. Only through joint strategy and efforts, we can be able to contain the epidemic, he said.
The Chairman also briefed the visiting dignitary about the role and procedure of business of the Upper House in the Parliament.
Sanjrani thanked Azerbaijan for its extended cooperation and support on various issues and stated that the exemplary cooperation will continue in the future as well.
The Speaker of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan said his country also attaches immense importance to its relationship with Pakistan. Sahiba Gafarova also expressed gratitude to the Government of Pakistan for extending diplomatic support on Nagorno Karabakh. The Speaker of Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova later on recorded his remarks in the “Visitor’s Book”.
Leader of the House, Senator Dr. Shehzad Waseem, Chief Whip of PTI in the Senate, Senator Fida Mohammad, Senator Dilawar Khan, Senator Nuzhat Sadiq, Senator Rukhsana Zubair, member National Assembly Shandana Gulzar Khan, and Secretary Senate Mohammad Qasim Samad Khan were also present during the meeting.
![PESHAWAR, JAN 12 /DNA/ - Owing to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's precarious law and order circumstances, the provincial assembly has written a letter to the Peshawar corps commander seeking an in-camera briefing on ongoing operations and the security situation in the province. "The [special] Committee desires to receive a detailed briefing from Headquarters XI Corps, Peshawar, particularly in the context of the ongoing operations being conducted by the federal government and LEAs in the merged districts of KP," reads the letter issued by KP Assembly Deputy Secretary Tariq Noor, while referring to the Special Committee (on Security) constituted by the house. The committee features more than 40 members, including the leader of the house, the leader of the opposition and provincial ministers, along with parliamentary leaders of respective political parties. The letter, dated January 8, also points out that the committee has received detailed briefings from key stakeholders, including the chief secretary, the additional chief secretary, the IGP, and now seeks a briefing as part of the consultative process. Letter written by KP Assemblys deputy secretary to Headquarters XI Corps. — Reporter Letter written by KP Assembly's deputy secretary to Headquarters XI Corps. — Reporter The KP Assembly's request for a briefing from a senior army commander comes as the province, as stated by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in a recent media briefing, accounted for nearly 71% of all the terrorist incidents in 2025. The overwhelming share of KP in facing terror incidents, as per the military's spokesperson, was due to a "politically conducive environment and the flourishing political-criminal-terror-nexus" in the province. Noting that the Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in KP was resisting counterterrorism efforts at every forum — a claim denied by the PTI — Lt Gen Chaudhry highlighted that the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) carried out 75,175 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across the country in 2025, of which 14,658 IBOs were conducted in KP. Out of the total 5,397 terrorism incidents reported nationwide in the previous year, as many as 3,811 incidents occurred in KP. The issue of terrorism and military operations has been a point of contention between the PTI's KP government and the Centre in recent times, where the former has time and again stressed a political solution and dialogue, whereas the latter has pressed on with taking action against the terrorists. This is also reflected by the KP Assembly's letter to the Headquarters XI Corps, Peshawar, which says that the Special Committee (on Security) "acknowledges the importance of security measures but considers that operation alone without broader political, social and developmental initiatives may not ensure suitable peace and stability and could risk further unrest in the province".](https://islamabadpost.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/security-forces-218x150.jpg "KP Assembly seeks Peshawar corps commander’s in-camera briefing on security situation")
